OpenAI appoints Chris Lehane as VP of global policy amid major funding push

Political strategist Chris Lehane has been hired by OpenAI as its Vice President of Global Policy. Lehane, who has experience handling political and social issues, has worked in similar positions at Airbnb and the Clinton White House.

According to the Economic Times, Lehane was known as the “master of disaster” when working with President Bill Clinton due to his crisis management skills. His appointment to OpenAI is timely, given that the company is currently under increasing pressure from governments and regulatory authorities worldwide.

OpenAI spokesperson confirms leadership changes

The company has been quite explicit on the risks that are inherent in the use of its advanced AI technology. Lehane’s appointment was confirmed by OpenAI’s spokesperson, Liz Bourgeois, who said that the company is undergoing some strategic changes. 

 “Just as the company is making changes in other areas of the business to scale the impact of various teams as we enter this next chapter, we recently made changes to our global affairs organization.”

Liz Bourgeois

Lehane’s appointment also happens at a time when OpenAI is going through some changes in regard to its funding sources. The company is reported to be in discussions for a new funding round which could value it at more than $100 billion. Thrive Capital, an investment firm is also expected to lead the deal with an investment of over $1 billion. It has also been reported that many big companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia also participated in the funding round. 

However, in view of the new funding attempts, the company is planning certain changes to make its structure more attractive to investors. This comes in the wake of a dramatic event that happened in November last year when OpenAI’s board removed CEO Sam Altman and then brought him back five days later. 

OpenAI explores business model changes to appeal to investors

Lehane’s presence at OpenAI is not limited to his new position. He has been associated with the company since last year and helped Altman in the CEO’s battle for reinstatement in November. 

In his new capacity, Lehane will report to Anna Makanju, who has been appointed as the Vice President of Global Impact after serving as the Vice President of Global Affairs. Earlier reports from the Financial Times also suggest that OpenAI is exploring a shift in its business model to be more accommodating to investors. Moreover, its governance structure has also changed over the last few months as well. For instance, Microsoft which had a seat on the board of OpenAI as an observer stepped down from the position in July.

The US Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding with OpenAI and Anthropic to audit AI systems for capabilities and safety. The government agency will experiment with, analyze, and validate AI models per the memorandum of understanding signed with two leading AI startups.